Pens and Needles- a Tattoo exhibition

Pens and Needles - A group exhibition celebrating tattoo art and lifestyle.

Opening reception: Friday, February 25th 2011. 7pm to 11pm.

Forget everything you think you know about tattoo art. For the first UK art exhibition of its kind, London Miles invites a selection of the world’s top tattoo artists, documentarians, and enthusiasts to finally liberate us from the last of those scratched on, fading abominations…our manifesto? No more ‘I LOVE MUM’.

“More and more tattooists are redefining the stereotype of what a tattooed person looks like. The general public is seeing better art more often and, hopefully, aren’t staying blind to the fact they don’t have to pay for bad tattoos.” (Shawn Barber)

Attitudes towards tattoo art and tattooed individuals continue to evolve for the better. Nowadays, it’s getting harder and harder to draw a distinction between fine art and the best of modern tattooing. Doesn’t this then make tattooed individuals the new cultural ambassadors of a truly new and distinctive ‘modern art’?

Much of today’s contemporary and fine art isn't too disparate from that which tattoo artists are creating on skin. Much like their painterly peers, the most accomplished and skilled of tattoo artists assign the same exacting precision to composition, tone, perspective, and conceptual design when producing their own inimitable works of art.

London Miles is to take an in-depth look at all forms of tattoo art, lifestyle, and culture. Featuring original artwork, tattoo stencils and photographs, Pens and Needles brings together artists from across the tattoo and contemporary art sectors to shed light on the entire domain of tattoo art: from artists that love tattoos, to tattoo artists that love painting. Alternatively, the photography of documentarian Estevan Oriol – whose client list includes Eminem, Ludacris, Method Man, and Justin Timberlake – will offer a raw snapshot of Los Angeles street life, one of the world’s most heavily tattooed cities.

The opening night of Pens and Needles will be a unique fiesta of tattoo art with live tattooing by Jolie Rouge tattoo studio taking place in London Miles’s very own pop-up tattoo parlour. The exhibition will document, discuss and most importantly celebrate one of contemporary art’s most burgeoning yet contentious art forms.

Tattoo art has helped shape cultures, trends, and identities across history, from ancient Maori and Japanese tattoo art to the markings of gang members and, latterly, modern day trendsetters. With the affirmation of body art as an essential fashion accessory, tattoo art’s cultural visibility and status continues to rise significantly. Whether it is images of Lenny Kravitz bedecked in inky splendour, or the reporting of new trends such as ‘white ink’ tattoo’s as sported by Kate Moss, tattoo art has undeniably established itself as a prominent and accepted facet of popular culture.

As the reputation, artistic integrity, and celebrity of many tattoo artists continues to grow however, so does the desirability of the unique artworks they create. Excitingly, this development has birthed an entirely new and dynamic art market - one formed by a generation of art enthusiasts drawn specifically to the affordability of these original artworks in comparison to the high prices of those in other spheres of the contemporary art market.

Do join us for the opening reception on Friday, February 25th 2011 at London Miles…and feel free to contribute with your own display of flesh art!

Confirmed Artists: Shawn Barber, Claudia Sabe, Mike Davis, Matt Difa, Xam, Olli Bery, Daniel Albrigo, Holy Fox, Jeff Gogue, Tom Bagshaw, Alex Young, Shad, Jondix, Jee Sayalero, Gustavo Rimada, Cate Rangle, Estevan Oriol, Lea Nahon, Bart Bingham, Rico, Horishion, Issac Fainkujen, Nick Baxter, Nick Colella, Alex Binnie, Al Overdrive, Nicola Andrews, Michael Forbes, Kerry Evans, William Zdan, Adam Jackson.

Images From Opening

Show Information

Work From Show

Exhibition catalogue

Images From Opening

Video from Opening reception